


Tell Me What You Need

by snarkymuch



Series: Broken Wings [14]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, But also a little Peter pov at the end, Communication Failure, Gen, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Touch-Starved, Wingfic, preening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkymuch/pseuds/snarkymuch
Summary: *This one can be read separately, probably. Though reading the others would make things clearer*Rhodey gets a chance to visit Tony after Morgan is born. Tony is having a bad wing day, and Rhodey gets Peter to help him through it. There is a misunderstanding between Rhodey and Tony about why Tony doesn't let him preen his wings, but he lets Peter. It all works out in the end.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Broken Wings [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588876
Comments: 42
Kudos: 165





	Tell Me What You Need

**Author's Note:**

> hey, guys. This one takes place a little earlier than the last few. I mentioned I might write out of order. A HUGE thanks goes to jwriter819 for hold my hand and helping me along.

The military had kept Rhodey busy the last few months, and he hadn’t had much time to himself, let alone time to visit with Tony and his new niece. It had been months since she’d been born, and he’d only seen her on video calls, usually balanced on Tony’s shoulder as he burped her. He’d seen her wings a few times, too, and weren’t those something. 

He never thought Tony would be a father, and now here he was with the prettiest little girl Rhodey had ever seen, and Rhodey knew that both of them would move mountains to keep her safe.

Things had gotten better for ravens, but they still weren’t great. He wished she didn’t need protection, but he knew with her midnight wings, she would. With her family around her, he knew she would be okay, though. She had Stark blood in her veins, and Rhodey liked to think that meant something.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be seeing his niece this weekend. Pepper took her to visit family, so Rhodey would be spending time with Tony instead, something he didn’t mind. It had been far too long since he’d had a chance to hang out with his friend. 

On the way to the lake house, Rhodey ordered a pizza from the mom and pop store in town and grabbed a six-pack of some fancy beer, too. 

He couldn’t get over how much Tony had changed over the past year. The man had gone from being wild and impulsive to a stay-at-home dad. His priorities had changed drastically, and Rhodey couldn’t help but think it was a good thing. It wasn’t that long ago that he worried he’d get a call that Tony had died in his armor, doing something dangerous and self-sacrificing, but now he found himself able to relax. The most dangerous thing Tony did these days was change poopy diapers. 

Rhodey still remembered talking to Tony in the hospital after her wings appeared. Tony had been a mixture of emotions, and Rhodey could only imagine the struggle he was facing. On the one hand, he wanted his daughter to embrace her wings, but on the other, he didn’t want her in danger.

And then there was Spider-Man, or should Rhodey say, Peter Parker. Rhodey had yet to meet the boy, but he’d heard plenty. Tony loved to go on and on about his achievements. He was the raven with a heart of gold. It settled something in Rhodey to know that Morgan would have another raven to look up to, even if he was still coming to terms with things himself. 

By the time Rhodey pulled down the driveway to Tony’s house, the car smelled like pizza, and Rhodey’s stomach was growling. He hadn’t eaten since that morning when he left DC, and then, it had only been a bagel. His main diet looked more like Tony’s early in his MIT years, convenience foods, and absurd amounts of coffee. 

It wasn’t sustainable in the long run. He remembered what it did to Tony back then, but his life had been hectic, and he had to find time somewhere in his day. Skipping meals bought him a little time at the end of the day. Whoever thought he was the reasonable one was sorely mistaken. You didn’t become friends with Tony Stark without sharing a few traits. 

Parking the car, Rhodey looked at the house and noticed that even though the porch light was on, the rest of the house appeared dark. He frowned, grabbing the beer and pizza from the seat and climbing out of the car. He crossed the path to the door and pushed the doorbell with his elbow. He waited a few minutes, and when no one answered, he shifted the beer and pizza in his arms and fished out his keys. Holding the keys awkwardly, he unlocked the deadbolt and let himself inside. 

“Hello?” he called into the darkness. “Tones, you around?”

He kicked the door shut and flipped on the lights. Walking into the living room, he set his goodies down on the table and walked deeper into the house to find Tony, but after a few minutes of searching, he couldn’t find him. Then he caught the garage lights through the window, and he sighed. Some things never changed. 

He let himself out the side door, and he walked down the path to the garage, knocking lightly on the door as he peeked in through the window. A shadow moved, then a disheveled Tony appeared through the dirty panes, and the door creaked open. 

Rhodey stepped inside and took a good look at Tony. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were rumpled. Pepper had only been gone a few days, and he already looked like he was falling apart. Damn. 

“Why the serious face, sour patch?”

“You look like shit, Tones. Are you sleeping at all?”

Tony shrugged. “I crashed on the couch for a few hours last night.”

“That’s not reassuring, and here I thought I wasn’t taking care of myself by drinking too much coffee.”

Tony walked in and plopped down on his stool, picking up a screwdriver from the bench and waving it towards the ratty couch. “Sit, catch me up on all the juicy work gossip. Is Ross still having an affair with his secretary?”

Rhodey couldn’t help but notice how tight Tony’s shoulders looked, how his neck looked strained, and he realized that this might be wing related. Rhodey became an expert at reading Tony’s body language after Afghanistan, and everything about his posture was screaming that he was in pain. The problem was figuring out what to do about it. Tony didn’t let people touch his wings, even if it would help. 

Rhodey sighed, scrubbing a hand over his mouth. “Okay, here’s what we're gonna do. Me and you.” He pointed back and forth between them. “We’re gonna ditch the garage and go eat some pizza, maybe have a few beers, then I’m gonna tuck your mangy ass into bed for some shut-eye.”

Tony rolled his shoulders, his face a grimace. He averted his eyes as he murmured, “I can’t sleep. I can’t do anything right now. I don’t know what’s wrong..”

Rhodey raised a brow. “I think we both know at least part of the problem is your wings, but I’m not going to push you on it. I know you don’t let people touch them, though I wish you would. You know I wouldn’t hurt you, man. Or think any less of you. You know that, right?” Tony looked away, and Rhodey stepped into his space, ducking his head and following his gaze so he couldn’t look away. “Tones?”

Tony’s eyes flicked to his, a frown etching his forehead. “Yeah, I know, but I can’t.”

“Okay, that’s—that’s fine.” He took a breath. “We’ve been here before, and we handled it fine. Let’s go inside and get you fed, then we can tackle your wings. Maybe I could help without touching."

Tony eyed him for a moment but then nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Rhodey helped Tony close up shop, and then he followed Tony into the house, watching him as he walked for signs of distress. When Tony’s wings got bad, his balance would be thrown off, and Rhodey didn’t want him tripping. 

When they got to the living room, Rhodey all but shoved Tony onto the couch and took a seat beside him, leaning forward and opening the box of lukewarm pizza. Taking a slice out, he held it out to Tony with a challenging brow. Tony frowned but took the offering, bringing it to his mouth and taking a bite. 

As Tony nibbled his pizza, Rhodey got his own slice and started on it. They ate in silence, but that was fine. After all the years of knowing each other, they didn’t need to talk. When he was done, he looked over at Tony, who was sucking sauce off his thumb,

“Beer?” Rhodey asked, already reaching for them.

Tony shook his head. “I’m fine, honey bear.”

Instead of grabbing a beer, Rhodey dragged a hand over his mouth and turned to Tony. “When was the last time Pepper preened you?”

“That’s kind of a personal question, don’t you think?”

Rhodey raised a brow. “You once described a shit you took in detail. This isn’t personal.”

“In my defense, I’m pretty sure it was record-setting.”

“Jesus, you’re really something else.”

Tony grinned. “You know you love me.”

“When was the last time, Tony?”

“I don’t know. Let me think. If Morgan’s three months, then, um, six or seven months ago?”

“Tony!” Rhodey snapped, then took a breath. “You can’t go that long. You know that.”

“Well, it wasn’t like I could have Pepper do them, and Peter was busy with school and Spider-Man.”

That made Rhodey pause. “Peter has preened your wings, but not me?”

“It’s nothing against you. I swear, Rhodey. If you want, I’ll let you tonight, but it’s—Peter is like the least intimidating person you could meet. He doesn’t set off my anxiety.”

Rhodey nodded a few times as he processed. He couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t a little hurt, but he was happy that Tony was starting to trust people again. He needed people in his life he could count on. Taking a breath, he looked at Tony. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll let you go full octopus on me while we watch a movie to help with the touch starvation, and then in the morning, I’ll see about getting Peter up here to look at your wings. Does that sound okay to you?”

“Will you play with my hair and call me baby?”

Rhodey rolled his eyes, pushing himself to his feet. “I’m gonna go put this beer in the fridge. You find something to watch, and if you’re good, I’ll work some of those knots out of your back.”

* * *

Rhodey walked down the hallway in the Queens apartment building, heading for the Parker’s door. Tony’s voice was in his ear as he assured Rhodey he’d called ahead and everything would be fine. 

“Okay, I’m here. I’ll let you know when I’m on the way back. Talk to you soon.”

Rhodey hung up, sticking his phone back in his pocket. Looking at the door like it held the answers to life, Rhodey took a breath and knocked. He still hadn’t gotten over the news that Tony let Peter preen his wings. It hurt. He’d known Rhodey most of his life, but that wasn’t enough. Tony didn’t feel comfortable with him preening his wings.

Jealousy wasn’t the right word for what Rhodey felt. In truth, he was happy for him, he really was, but it still stung a little. He knew Peter was a special kid, but Rhodey didn’t get what made him so special that Tony trusted him over everything else. 

The lock clicked, and then the door opened just an inch. The chain was still in place. A woman with dark hair was peering at him through the gap. She had glasses perched on her nose, and a few stray strands of hair fell into her eyes. 

“Can I help you?” she asked, pushing her glasses up her nose. 

“Um, hi. I’m James Rhodes—Rhodey. Tony should have called and told you I was coming.”

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “I thought from the way he spoke that he would be coming himself. He never said anything about you.”

Rhodey sighed. “Of course, he didn’t.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry Tony didn’t explain. He’s having a hard time right now. That’s why I’m here. Is there any chance I could come in so we could talk?”

The door closed, and for a moment, Rhodey thought she’d dismissed him, but then it opened again, wider this time. The woman he knew to be Peter’s aunt stood to the side. She was a little shorter than him, wearing a fitted tank top and a pair of well-worn sweats. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, a pencil stuck through it. She gestured for him to come inside and closed the door behind him.

“Peter is on the way home now. I can’t say I expected to see you. I’m sorry we haven’t met before.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m May Parker, Peter’s aunt.”

Her hand felt small in his own. He shook it lightly. “It’s a pleasure. Call me Rhodey, please.”

“Rhodey,” she repeated with a smile. “How about some coffee? Then you can explain what’s going on. It’s not often War Machine makes a visit.”

“Not War Machine today. Just here on behalf of a friend.”

May walked into the kitchen, and Rhodey followed. She filled the coffee maker with water as she talked. “So, what’s going on? I’m assuming this has to do with Tony. Is everything all right with him and Pepper? Nothing’s wrong with the baby, right?”

“No, he and Pepper are doing great, so’s Morgan. The baby is keeping both of them busy. That’s part of the problem, actually.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’ll be honest. I’m not really following here.”

Rhodey sighed. “How much do you know about Tony’s wings? Has Peter told you anything?”

She turned around, back against the counter. “Well, just what was in the press, which isn’t much.”

Rhodey frowned, glancing at the fridge. A picture of Peter was pinned under a magnet. The boy looked happy, holding up a trophy with his friends. He cleared his throat and turned back to May. “It’s not my story to tell, but I think you should know that Tony’s wings—there isn’t much left, and sometimes, his follicles get inflamed and painful if he’s not preened properly.”

“That sounds awful, but how does this involve Peter?”

“Well, there’s only two people I know of that Tony will let close enough to help. One is Pepper, who’s away right now, and the other.” He paused to look at the picture again for a second before turning back to her. “The other is Peter.”

She frowned as she turned over his words. “So that’s why you came? You need Peter’s help?”

Rhodey nodded. “Yeah, someone needs to look over Tony’s wings, preen what’s left. He hasn’t—he’s waited months, and it’s not good. He suffers from touch starvation most of the time as it is.”

“That can be serious.”

Rhodey sighed. “I think Pepper leaving for the week was enough to push him over the edge. A familiar face could help him.”

Nodding, she turned and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard. The coffee maker gurgled as it finished. She filled the cups, setting one on the table beside Rhodey. 

“You should sit. Peter will be a few more minutes. Cream or sugar?”

“Black is fine,” he said as he sat down at the table. ‘So, Spider-Man, huh?”

May huffed. “Yeah, driving me to an early grave, that kid. So, you probably know then that Peter's a raven?”

Sipping his coffee, he hummed in response. “He’ll be a great role model for Morgan.”

“He used to always ask me and Ben, my late husband, for a little brother or sister. We never could, though. We just weren’t at a point in our lives that we could make it work, so I’m happy Peter gets this now. He deserves a little happiness after everything he’s been through.”

“I feel like I know him already with as much as Tony talks about him. You gotta be something special to break down Tony’s walls.”

May smiled with a little shake of her head. “Peter—he is endlessly caring. So pure, you know? He’d give his life for anyone because he always sees the good, even in the worst people. It scares me, terrifies me, actually, because I know one day he might not come home. You shouldn’t outlive your kids.”

Rhodey looked at her and saw the sadness in her eyes. It took strength to do what she was doing, accepting Peter for who he was, and allowing him to go out there and risk himself. It made Rhodey want to meet Peter even more. 

They chatted over coffee as they waited for Peter, and thankfully, they didn’t need to wait long. A thump from deeper in the apartment made Rhodey look over his shoulder. 

May waved off his concern. “That’s just Peter. His window tends to slip closed before he can crawl through. Half the time, he ends up on the floor.” She stood, taking her cup with her and going to the machine to pour more. “I think he’ll be excited to meet you.”

Another thump came from down the hall, then a boy appeared, hopping on one foot as he slid on his shoe. “Hey,” he said, eyes wide as he took in Rhodey, who stood and turned to face him.

Rhodey smiled warmly. Even though this was the first time he’d met the kid, Rhodey couldn’t help but be a little enamored by his casual, clumsy ways and bright smile. “Hi, Peter, I think you know who I am, but just in case, I’m Rhodey.”

“Mr. Rhodes, sir, it’s really nice to meet you. I’m, um, Peter?”

Rhodey chuckled at the kid’s uncertainty. “I was hoping you could do me a favor, if it’s all right with your aunt.”

Peter’s gaze flicked to May, who smiled, and then back to Rhodey. “Okay, yeah, I can do that. Is it a mission? Does Tony need help?”

Rhodey chuckled. The kid was enthusiastic, his bubbly personality was contagious and made Rhodey feel lighter than he had in a while, and he wondered if this was why Tony let Peter close. Shaking his head, he put up a hand. “It’s not a mission, though I wouldn’t mind working with you sometime, but this about Tony. There’s no easy way to say this—”

“Oh my god, is he okay?”

“Easy, Peter, he’s fine. Well, he’s mostly fine, but I think you know about the funks he gets in because of his wings. He hasn’t—with Morgan and everything going on, Tony hasn’t been taking care of himself, and now he’s crashing hard. Pepper and Morgan are visiting family, and he really needs someone around he can open up with, someone he trusts with his wings.”

A frown touched Peter’s brows. “But why me? I mean, I will, but what about you?”

Rhodey sighed, shaking his head lightly. “Me and Tony are close, but when it comes to his wings, he just doesn’t like me seeing them. I don’t know why, really. He just can’t relax with me there, but you? You’re something special, Peter. Tony asked for you.”

“Oh, that’s—wow. I don’t know what to say. I’ll come, though. I’ll help. I want to help.”

“Okay,” Rhodey breathed. “Then if it’s all right with your aunt, why don’t you pack a bag, and I’ll drive us up there.”

* * *

Rhodey and Peter stopped for dinner on the way to the lake house, and he watched in disgusted awe as Peter finished off a forty piece nugget, which came after he inhaled a Quarter Pounder and large fry. The kid was a bottomless pit. Rhodey’s arteries were clogging in sympathy. 

It was after five when they got to the lake house, but unlike when Rhodey had arrived yesterday, the lights were on now, giving a warm glow to the house. 

Rhodey led Peter inside, the boy trailing after him with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He didn’t bother knocking, just unlocked the door and let Peter inside ahead of him. Closing the door, Rhodey turned and saw that Peter had already found Tony lying on the couch with his back to the room. Peter had already knelt next to him, whispering. Rhodey could hear the murmur of his voice, but not what he was saying. 

Rhodey suddenly felt like he was intruding, but he couldn’t look away. Peter said something else to Tony, and then Tony turned a little, so he was partially on his stomach, and then to his shock, Tony’s wings appeared on his back. The kid had managed to achieve what Rhodey couldn’t in mere minutes of arriving. 

* * *

“I’m gonna start on the downy feathers first,” Peter said, hands shaking just a little. It said a lot that Tony didn’t even protest when Peter confronted him about his wings. He just rolled over and showed his wings. 

As Peter worked, he could feel Rhodey’s eyes on him. They hadn’t spoken much on the way, but from what Peter could gather, Rhodey was upset that Tony chose Peter to preen his wings over him. While that made something warm and comforting unfurl in Peter’s chest, he also felt guilty, like somehow he was coming between them. 

Once the matted feathers were fluffed, Peter massaged the oil glands that were left, trying to unclog them. The scars wreaked havoc on his wings, twisting in and around the feathers that did manage to remain. 

After a while, he heard Rhodey move deeper into the house, the kitchen from the sound of it, and Peter relaxed a little. 

“Are you feeling any better, Mr. Stark?”

Tony hummed in response, adjusting his head on the pillow. “They don’t hurt as much. Thank you for this.”

“Can I ask you something? It’s okay if you don’t want to answer. You know what? It’s none of my business, nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

Tony shifted, turning so he could look at Peter. “That right there—the fact you don’t want to talk about it, makes me think we should.”

Peter frowned, going back to working on a split feather, trying to work it out. “It’s just—I feel kinda bad, ya know? I think I hurt Mr. Rhodes' feelings, and I didn’t mean to.”

“What are you talking about, Peter?” Tony propped himself up on his elbows. “Did something happen between you two? I swear—”

Peter shook his head. “No, no, nothing bad. It’s just—I think he wanted to be the one to help you.”

Tony sighed, rubbing his eyes. “This is a mess. The last thing I wanted was for him to be hurt or for you to feel weird. This really isn’t my area, and here I am proving it again.”

“I don’t understand.”

Tony tried to smile, but it looked forced. “It’s not that I don’t trust Rhodey. It’s just easier with you. I don’t why. Maybe because you’re a raven, or maybe because I know you won’t pity me. Rhodey tries to hide it, but I can see it in his eyes whenever he sees my wings. He blames himself. It’s not that I don’t trust him. It was never about trust. It’s that I don’t want to see him hurt. I guess that’s just me trying to keep him safe.”

“Is that true, Tones?” Rhodey’s voice came from the doorway, and Peter and Tony both looked. A frown marred Rhodey's face. “You don’t let me near your wings because you’re trying to spare me?”

“Well, duh. I guess I just didn’t think what kind of message that was sending. Sorry, honey bear.”

Peter looked between them, watching as Rhodey tried to collect himself. The news was clearly a shock. 

“You always were too smart for your own good," Rhodey said with a sigh, "but sucked when it came to people. Whether I blame myself or not isn’t for you to decide. I don’t need your protection, Tones. Believe it or not, I’m not going to combust from seeing your wings. I can handle it.”

Tony pushed himself up so he was sitting on the cushion. He turned to fully face his friend. “But it wasn’t your fault.”

Rhodey shrugged. "I don't know if I'll ever fully believe that, but maybe it’s time we tried to put it behind us. I’d like to be able to help you with your wings, if that’s all that’s standing in the way.”

Peter bit his lip as he watched Tony’s frown morph into a tentative smile. He felt out of place, watching this personal conversation unfold. He could understand both sides and could see how the misunderstanding took place. 

“Okay,” Tony said. “Forgive me for being an idiot?”

“Always, Tones, always, and I'm sure this won't be the last time.”

Peter cleared his throat. “So, um, now that you guys talked and everything, I could actually use some help. I think there’s an infection in one of the follicles, which is beyond what I know how to fix, so if it's okay, I'd like some help.”

“You up for offering a hand, sour patch?” Tony asked with a smile, though there was something unsure in his eyes like he expected Rhodey to turn him down.

Rhodey pushed up his sleeves and walked over to Tony. “Let’s have a look.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm open to prompts for this and others, though it will be a bit before I get to more as I have some holiday events I'm taking part in that I need to write for first. You can find me on tumblr [here](https://snarky-drabbles.tumblr.com/)


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